Department for Transport

Railways: Season Tickets

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to revisit the flexible season ticket to attract more potential rail travellers.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The flexible season ticket is a national product, priced to provide better value and convenience for commuters travelling two to three days a week. For most 2 and 3 day a week commuters, the flexible season ticket offers savings against buying daily tickets or traditional seasons, provided that they are following this commuting pattern. For those with different commuting patterns, existing tickets such as traditional seasons or dailies may be the best choice. The Department will conduct a 12-month review of the flexible season tickets to evaluate their impact. We expect the review to report in the Summer of 2022. Independent research conducted by Transport Focus published on 3 November indicates that flexible season tickets have been well received among commuters on their Transport User Panel. More than one in three passengers surveyed who expected to commute two or three days per week said they would use the flexi season at least to some extent.

Railways: Fares

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the yield resulting from the last regulated increase in rail fares; and what assessment they have made of this estimate.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: No assessment has been made of the proportion of industry revenues which can be attributable to the March 2021 fares changes. While fares changes affect total industry revenue there are also a number of other impacts that affect it, including most notably at the moment the pandemic’s impact on passenger travel. The department has not conducted any studies following the fares changes in March 2021 to separate out the impact of these changes from other factors influencing industry revenues.

Railways

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make rail travel at the weekends more attractive.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The rail leisure market is showing strong levels of recovery post-COVID, showing that off-peak and weekend travel remains highly attractive to passengers. There are also a number of railcards available that offer discounts against most rail fares, valid for weekend travel. The Department has saved a generation of passengers at least a third off their fares through the 16-17 and 26-30 railcards and went even further in November 2020 by extending these savings to former servicemen and women through a new Veterans Railcard. Industry partners are collaborating to develop attractive timetables that are reliable, deliver excellent performance for passengers, and offer good value for the taxpayer.

Motorways: Safety

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to stop any further rollout of smart motorways until five years of safety data is available and improvements can be independently evaluated.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We welcome the Transport Committee’s report Rollout and safety of smart motorways, published on 2 November 2021. We will start work immediately on considering its recommendations in detail, providing a formal response in due course. This is a serious piece of work which we will engage with closely in the months ahead.We are pleased that the Transport Committee recognises that reinstating the hard shoulder on all all-lane running motorways could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death and serious injury and that we are right to focus on upgrading their safety, as the Secretary of State committed to doing when he became Transport Secretary.The Transport Secretary is committed to making smart motorways as safe as possible and has committed £500 million on an 18-point Action Plan which includes the faster rollout of Stopped Vehicle Detection technology.

Roads: Accidents

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many(1) deaths, (2) serious injuries, and (3) other injuries, were suffered by (a) pedestrians, and (b) cyclists in England in each year since 2016, broken down by the speed limit on the road on which the accident occurred.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The number of deaths, serious injuries, and other injuries, which were suffered by pedestrians, and cyclists in England in each year since 2016, broken down by the speed limit can be found in the attached table.  Table of road accidents since 2016 and speed limit (xlsx, 18.1KB)

Motorways

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future of smart motorways.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We welcome the Transport Committee’s report Rollout and safety of smart motorways, published on 2 November 2021. We will start work immediately on considering its recommendations in detail, providing a formal response in due course. This is a serious piece of work which we will engage with closely in the months ahead.We are pleased that the Transport Committee recognises that reinstating the hard shoulder on all all-lane running motorways could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death and serious injury and that we are right to focus on upgrading their safety, as the Secretary of State committed to doing when he became Transport Secretary.The Transport Secretary is committed to making smart motorways as safe as possible and has committed £500 million on an 18-point Action Plan which includes the faster rollout of Stopped Vehicle Detection technology.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Supply: Care Leavers

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young care leavers can pay their energy bills and do not fall into fuel poverty.

Lord Callanan: Local Authorities must provide support to young care leavers, including help to set up a home until they are 25 years old. The energy price cap will save 15 million households up to £100 on their energy bills this winter. The Government supports low-income and fuel poor households with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments, where eligible. The Warm Home Discount scheme currently provides over 2 million low-income and vulnerable households with a £140 rebate off their winter energy bill. Warm Home Discount funding for 2021/22 year is worth £354 million. In addition, the Government has announced an extra £500 million for local authorities through the new Household Support Fund to provide help to millions of the most in need. The independent regulator, Ofgem has an objective to protect vulnerable consumers. Its Consumer Vulnerability Strategy 2025 includes activities to improve identification of vulnerability and supporting those struggling with their energy bills. Further details of Ofgem’s Consumer Vulnerability Strategy 2025 are available on Ofgem's website.

Energy Supply: Low Incomes

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that families with members (1) in low-paid jobs, or (2) on zero-hour contracts, can pay their energy bills and do not fall into fuel poverty.

Lord Callanan: The energy price cap will save 15 million households up to £100 on their energy bills this winter. The Government supports low-income and fuel poor households with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments, where eligible. The Warm Home Discount scheme currently provides over 2 million low-income and vulnerable households with a £140 rebate off their winter energy bill. Warm Home Discount funding for 2021/22 year is worth £354 million. In addition, the Government has announced an extra £500 million for local authorities through the new Household Support Fund to provide help to millions of the most in need. The independent regulator, Ofgem has an objective to protect vulnerable consumers. Its Consumer Vulnerability Strategy 2025 includes activities to improve identification of vulnerability and supporting those struggling with their energy bills. Further details of Ofgem’s Consumer Vulnerability Strategy 2025 are available on Ofgem's website.

National Security and Investment Act 2021

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a strategy for the implementation of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Lord Callanan: The National Security and Investment Act received Royal Assent on 29 April and will commence fully on 4 January 2022. In advance of commencement, the Government is publishing extensive guidance on the Act and is working closely with investors and businesses to help them understand the legislation. In addition, the Government is laying in Parliament the secondary legislation that is required for commencement.

Department for Education

Sustainable Development: Curriculum

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include a module on sustainability in every (1) apprenticeship, and (2) T Level course.

Baroness Barran: This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, has written to the noble Lord and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

GCE A-level

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage change in the number of students sitting A Levels in (1) Art and Design, (2) Music, (3) Design and Technology, (4) Drama, (5), Media, (6) Film and Television Studies, and (7) Performing and Expressive Arts, for each of the last five years.

Baroness Barran: The number of A level entries is provided in the table attached (table A) for the last five academic years for which data is available (2016/17 – 2020/21).Subjects shown are the reporting categories from the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical release which best correspond to the subjects requested.Note, Media, and Film and Television Studies are historically classified and reported together as ‘Media/Film/Television Studies’. Subjects reported as ‘Other communication studies’ comprise ‘Film Studies’ when taught as a discrete subject, also ‘Creative Writing’, ‘Communication Studies’, and ‘Expressive Arts & Performance Studies’. In the 2021 release, published on 4 November 2021, more fine-grained subject level data shows that A level entries historically reported as ‘Other communication studies’ for the last 3 years are almost exclusively now made up of entries in ‘Film Studies’.The percentage change in subject entries year-on-year is shown in the table attached (table B), including the overall percentage change between 2016/17 and 2020/21.The table attached (table C) shows subject entries as a proportion of all entries within an academic year.Source: ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ (drawn from statistical releases over several years).NotesA level entries in schools and colleges in England; all figures are revised data, except 2019/20 and 2020/21 which are provisional.Covers students aged 16, 17 or 18 at the start of the relevant academic year, i.e. 31 August 2020 for 2020/21.PQ_HL3413_table_attachments (xlsx, 11.1KB)

Home Education

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 29 October (HL3408), what assessment they have made of the number of children being home educated.

Baroness Barran: The department does not collect data on children who are home educated. However, we are aware of rising numbers of home-educated children.The department supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. Most do so with the best education of their child at the centre of their decision. There are concerns about the rising numbers of home educated children, and how this increase is driven by reasons other than a commitment to home education. For some parents, the child’s education is not the primary reason behind the decision to home educate, which can mean that some children are not being provided with a suitable education.The government remains committed to a form of registration system for children not in school. Further details on this will be in the government response to the Children Not in School consultation, which will be published in the coming months.

Education and Employment: Young People

Baroness Garden of Frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hours a week a person under the age of 25 must be in (1) education, (2) employment, or (3) training, to lose their classification as someone Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET).

Baroness Garden of Frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they undertook to decide the minimum (1) education, (2) employment, or (3) training, requirements that mean an individual is not classed as someone Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET).

Baroness Barran: NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) is a statistical measure agreed across government and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and is not formally assessed or used as a condition to establish entitlement for free training for adults.Anybody who is not participating in any forms of education or training and who is not in employment is considered to be NEET. This includes those not:- Enrolled on an education course- Still attending or waiting for term to (re)start- Doing an apprenticeship- On a government supported employment or training programme- Working or studying towards a qualification- On job-related training or education in the last 4 weeks- In some form of paid work, including those working part-timeUnder Raising the Participation Age, introduced in the Education and Skills Act 2008, 16- and 17-year-olds are under a statutory duty to particate in education or training. Aligned to this, local authorities are under a statutory duty to support 16- and 17-year-olds into education or training, a minimum of at least 280 planned qualification hours per year for those in full-time work or volunteering (20 hours per week) or 540 hours of planned learning for those in full-time education.Published measures of NEET typically use the Labour Force Survey which is run by the ONS, using their definition of NEET and also aligns to the measure of employment as defined by the International Labour Organisation. This states a person in employment is defined as all those of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit. They comprise employed persons "at work", i.e. who worked in a job for at least one hour, and employed persons "not at work" due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements (such as shift work, flexitime and compensatory leave for overtime).

Environment Protection and Sustainable Development: Curriculum

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce environmental sustainability across all National Curriculum and A-Level courses.

Baroness Barran: The department believes it vital that young people are taught about important matters such as environmental sustainability in school.Topics relating to the environment are covered in the National Curriculum in the science and geography curricula and in GCSEs. In both subjects, at key stages 1 and 2, pupils are taught about seasons and habitats, as well as covering climate zones and how environments can change. Secondary geography includes study of the climate, how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate. In science key stages 3 and 4 and at GCSE, pupils study climate and ecosystems including how human interaction with ecosystems impacts on biodiversity. We have also introduced a new environmental science A level which became available to pupils in 2017. This will enable pupils to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.Pupils also cover content on the environment in citizenship education which has been a compulsory subject in maintained schools since 2002. Pupils are taught what improves and harms the environment, and how economic choices affect sustainability. Teachers have the flexibility and freedom to determine how they deliver the content in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils and can choose to cover particular topics in greater depth if they wish.On 27 October, there was a Westminster Hall Debate on 'Sustainability and Climate Change (National Curriculum)': https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-10-27/debates/F638FCEC-9A64-4B21-BD6A-A34D96D26DC8/SustainabilityAndClimateChange(NationalCurriculum).

Apprentices: Taxation

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 25 October (HL2904), how much was spent on the apprenticeship levy between 1 April and 30 September.

Baroness Barran: The details of apprenticeship budget spend for the 2021-22 financial year will be included in the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts, which is due to be published in the second half of 2022.The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers, to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. The annual apprenticeship budget is set by Her Majesty’s Treasury and although closely linked, is distinct from the total levy income collected.The Spending Review has delivered the first increase to apprenticeships funding since the 2019-20 financial year. Funding will grow to £2.7 billion by the 2024-25 financial year.The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are distinct from the department’s annual apprenticeships budget. The table below shows the value of funds spent from levy-paying employers’ accounts in each month between 1 April and 30 September. As this only includes the funds spent by levy-paying employers, this does not represent total spend on apprenticeships for all employers in this period.Month (2021)Levy spent (£ million)April£98May£96June£99July£99August£100September£79Total£571 Note:- The payments made from employer accounts within the apprenticeship service are made one month in arrears (i.e. apprenticeship levy funds spent in April relate to delivery in March).- The cost of additional payments to employers, providers and apprentices, and the cost of payments for English and maths training, is met by the apprenticeship budget and therefore is not deducted from the levy funds in employers’ apprenticeship service accounts.- The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. The apprenticeship service handles the apprenticeships spend of those employers who choose to register an account with the service.

Music: Teachers

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage professional musicians (1) to teach music to young people, and (2) to help young people to become music teachers.

Baroness Barran: The government has a long-term commitment to ensuring that high-quality music education is not the preserve of the elite, but the entitlement of every single child. Music education remains a central part of a broad and balanced curriculum in schools, and that is why music is a statutory subject from age 5 to 14 in the national curriculum, and why pupils have an entitlement to study at least one arts subject at key stage 4 in maintained schools.The department has committed £79 million this year for Music Education Hubs, and a further £1 million for charities which teach pupils about different styles of music and will often work with, and employ, professional musicians.New trainee teachers are now entitled to at least three years of evidence-based professional development and support. We saw 483 new entrants to music in the 2020/21 academic year. This is 171 more new entrants than were seen in 2019/20.Our Get into Teaching service provides inspiration to explore a career in teaching and support to successfully apply. Through the service, prospective candidates can access advice from expert Teacher Training Advisers throughout the application process and also identify opportunities to gain school experience in their local area.In October our new digital service, Apply, for teacher training was rolled out. This is a key milestone in the delivery of a more streamlined, user-friendly application route. Apply will allow us to collect more data and insight into candidate behaviour than ever before. This means that we will get a much more granular understanding of the route into teaching across different subjects and this will allow us to deliver innovative policy interventions in key areas.

Children in Care: Runaway Children

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support local authoities to prevent children absconding from care.

Baroness Barran: The department has issued statutory guidance for local authorities that clarifies steps to prevent children going missing from home or from care. The guidance stipulates to local authorities explicit actions that care settings must take to prevent looked after children going missing. The statutory guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care.The guidance also makes clear that children’s home regulations require providers to have up-to-date procedures in place to prevent children going missing and to take swift, effective action if they do go missing to ensure their safety. We also expect the child’s care plan to include details of arrangements in place to keep the child safe, and to minimise the risk of the child going missing from their placement, whether this be a children’s home or a foster placement.The Department is working closely with representatives from local authorities, police forces, Ofsted and the children’s voluntary sector, to consider how the current ‘missing’ statutory guidance might be refreshed and further strengthened. This will help to ensure it continues to be fit to support local authorities and their partners to protect vulnerable children. We will issue further updates on this work in due course.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Human Trafficking: Organs

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of organised international human organ trafficking groups and reports of the harvesting of human organs; what discussions they have had with the WHO about this issue; and what assessment they have made of the reported involvement of (1) hospitals, and (2) universities, in China in such practices.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Current UK law prohibits commercial dealings in human material for transplantation and makes it an offence to traffic organs. Additionally, the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs invites governments to criminalise trafficking in human organs, and to take measures to protect victims. The UK signed the Convention in March 2015. We have also discussed this issue with the WHO.We continue to monitor and review evidence relating to reports of forced organ harvesting in China. The Government's position remains that, if true, the practice of systematic, state-sponsored organ harvesting would constitute a serious violation of human rights. We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities, and will continue to do so.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to resolve the current (1) food shortages, and (2) danger due to conflict, affecting people in Afghanistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is using every diplomatic and humanitarian lever at our disposal to address the crisis, including doubling our humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan and the region to a total of £286 million this year. We are working closely with the World Food Programme to ensure that food insecure adults and children receive the support they need. Responding to food insecurity is a high priority for our funding and we will be making further announcements shortly.

Afghanistan: Food

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of World Food Programme estimate that in Afghanistan (1) 22.8 million peoplearefacing acute food insecurity, (2) 8.7 million are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, and (3) 3.2 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are deeply concerned by the World Food Programme's estimates and, along with other donors, are working closely with the World Food Programme to ensure that food insecure adults and children receive the support they need. Responding to food insecurity is a high priority for our £286 million funding for Afghanistan and on 31 October the Prime Minister announced the allocation of £50m of this money to provide over 2.5 million people with emergency life-saving humanitarian support in priority areas including health, food security, shelter and protection.

Land Mines

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 October (HL2891), when they expect the country allocation for the Global Mine Action Programme to be completed; and by how much UK funding will be reduced.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Global Mine Action Programme 3 (GMAP3) is due to begin in 2022. We are working towards finalising funding and country allocations and hope to share our plans for the programme with the wider mine sector shortly.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential effect of reductions in the Official Development Assistance budget on (1) poverty, (2) inequality, and (3) the UK's reputation, in the global south.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a world leader in development, committed to the global fight against poverty and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. In 2020 we spent £14.5 billion Official Development Assistance (ODA) fighting poverty and helping those in need, despite the seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK and global economy. This included £1.7 billion supporting the effort to fight coronavirus, £1.5 billion in humanitarian assistance, and we gave more than half of our regional bilateral aid to countries in Africa.In 2021, the UK will still spend over £10 billion and remain one of the largest ODA spenders in the world. Based on 2020 OECD data, the UK will be the third largest ODA donor in the G7 as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) in 2021 and will spend above the average for OECD Development Assistance Committee members (0.41%). As we move through the spending cycle, as is standard, we will review the impact of projects and our spend, in order to inform future spending decisions and policy making.On 13 July the Government gave Members of Parliament the opportunity to debate its proposed course of action and a pathway back to 0.7%. The House voted clearly with a majority of 35 votes to approve the approach set out in the Treasury's Written Ministerial Statement. Improving economic forecasts shows that HMG may meet its fiscal tests to return to spending 0.7% of GNI on aid in financial year 2024/25.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel following claims by the Israeli Ministry of Defence that six human rights organisations are linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and whether they share this assessment by the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of (1) Al-Haq, (2) Addameer, (3) Defence of Children International - Palestine, (4) Bisan Center for Research and Development, and (5) Union of Palestinian Women's Committee in monitoring allegations of human rights breaches in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the climate for human rights in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories following the decision of the Israeli Ministry of Defence to claim that (1) Al-Haq, (2) Addameer, (3) Defence for Children International – Palestine, (4) Bisan Center for Research and Development, (5) Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, and the (6) Union of Agricultural Work Committees, are linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of the United States of America, and (2) with other allies, following the decision of the Ministry of Defence in Israel to label six human rights organisations to be linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and what conclusions did they jointly reach.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the decision by the Israeli authorities and will be seeking additional information to understand the basis for the designations. Human rights and civil society organisations have a vital role to play in the development of thriving, open societies.

Palestinians: Third Sector

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Israeli Defence Ministry on 19 October to designate six Palestinian civil society organisations that monitor human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to be “terrorist organizations”.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the decision by the Israeli authorities and will be seeking additional information to understand the basis for the designations. Human rights and civil society organisations have a vital role to play in the development of thriving, open societies.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following reports of an attack on Palestinians by Israeli settlers near the town of Turmus Ayya.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. The UK regularly raises the issue of settler violence with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 19 October. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance to bring those responsible to justice. We also continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Situation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are using every diplomatic and humanitarian lever at our disposal to address the crisis, including doubling our humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan and the region to a total of £286 million this year. We will be making further announcements shortly on how our funding will be allocated.

Palestinians: Health Services

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by Physicians for Human Rights that (1) seriously ill Palestinians, and (2) those injured by Israeli forces, are dying because they are prevented from receiving medical care.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of such reports. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of the Israel security force's adherence to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest. The wounded or critically ill should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.

Conflict Prevention

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the United Nations to reduce aggression and conflict globally.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The United Nations is a key UK partner in working to reduce the frequency and intensity of conflict and instability to alleviate suffering and to reduce aggression both diplomatically and through development. The UK plays a leading role at the UN in tackling conflict as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to foster coordinated responses to conflicts by the international community. The UK champions the UN Secretary-General's Sustaining Peace agenda, engaging with and providing support to the UN Peacebuilding Commission, agencies, funds, and programmes to shape a more effective approach to conflict prevention.The UK is one the biggest supporters of the UN's Peacebuilding Fund, having committed over £175 million since 2006. We are also working with the UN on the ground through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), which is receiving £874 million in 2021-22 to focus on the link between stability, resilience and security, and work partners on peace initiatives. The UK is also the fifth largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, deploying around 600 troops to UN peacekeeping missions such as in Mali. Our operational experience strengthens our credibility in promoting and supporting UN peacekeeping best practice to improve impact in conflicts.

Sudan: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current political situation in Sudan, and (2) the prospects for that country's transition to civilian rule; what assurances have they sought, if any, that the safety of acting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok will be guaranteed; and what was the outcome of the discussions at the United Nations regarding this situation.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October, including to detain Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government and declare a state of emergency. Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy; the acts of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and that journey. Hamdok remains under house arrest. As a signal of support, our Ambassador and other senior members of the diplomatic community in Khartoum met with Hamdok on 27 October and were able to ascertain that he is well. The whereabouts and condition of other civilian members of the transitional government are still unknown.With our Sudan Quad partners (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and US) we issued a statement on 3 November calling for the release of all those unlawfully detained and restoration of the civilian-led transitional government. We expressed our condemnation at a meeting of the UN Security Council meeting on 26 October, which was followed by a statement from members of the Council. We also secured a Special Session at the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November to discuss the situation.

Osman Kavala

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the joint statement by the ambassadors ofCanada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America, issued on 18 October, calling on the government of Turkey to release Osman Kavala.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We note the joint statement issued on 18 October by the ten Ambassadors calling for the release of Osman Kavala. We are concerned that Turkey has not yet complied with the European Court of Human Rights judgment concerning Osman Kavala. We will continue to raise his case with the Turkish Government and expect Turkey to fulfil its international legal obligations.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the British peacekeeping force in Mali of the proposed withdrawal of French troops from that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is in contact with our French partners on their planned changes to operations in the Sahel. We have had assurances that France will retain the critical support functions such as force protection, medical and logistical support, which allow the UK to effectively contribute to operations in the Sahel. The UK remains committed to UN peacekeeping.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what diplomatic steps they have taken to support international action to tackle climate change ahead of COP26.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: As the Prime Minister has said, Climate is the top international priority for the UK. COP26 is the key moment to promote international cooperation on tackling climate change. The Foreign Secretary and every member of the Ministerial team have been raising climate in meetings with counterparts across the world. Climate change is an issue for everyone. Tackling it needs everyone to work together.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Assistance Animals: Export Health Certificates

Lord Willoughby de Broke: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 25 October regarding assistance animals travelling from the UK to the EU (HL2987), whether similarly stringent requirements are in place for pet movements from the EU to the UK.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Currently there are no changes to the pre-transition period pet travel requirements for entry into Great Britain (GB) from the EU or Northern Ireland. We continue to accept Pet Passports issued in the EU, Northern Ireland and Part 1 listed third countries and Pet Passports issued in GB prior to January 2021. We also accept Animal Health Certificates (AHC) issued in GB, and Great Britain Pet Health Certificates (which can be used when travelling from a Part 2 or ‘not listed’ country, or a ‘Part 1’ country that does not issue pet passports). Pets travelling from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man do not need this documentation. The pet health requirements remain in place to protect GB’s biosecurity from diseases such as rabies and the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. This means that all dogs, cats and ferrets entering GB from the EU must continue to be microchipped, have been vaccinated against rabies and for dogs, including assistance dogs, to have been treated against tapeworm (unless travelling from a tapeworm-free country). We have extensive guidance on GOV.UK with detailed information on what pet owners must do to ensure a seamless journey for their pet into GB: https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain. We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet checking regimes in the world for non-commercial pet travel movements. Every pet animal entering GB on approved routes under the pet travel rules undergoes documentary and identity checks. Any animals found to be non-compliant with the pet travel rules may be refused entry or detained until compliant. The Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling. We are now making some significant changes to domestic law, with potential changes to our import requirements, through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. The Bill was introduced in Parliament on the 8 June and second reading took place on 25 October. The Bill will progress through Parliament when parliamentary time allows.

UK Seafood Fund

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the promised £100 million of funding for the UK Seafood Fund they have allocated.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the promised £100 million of the UK Seafood Fund they will spend supporting (1) the UK fishing industry, and (2) the communities around the industry.

Lord Benyon: Thus far, £24 million of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund has been allocated to the Science and Innovation pillar, which includes the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme and the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF). The Infrastructure and Skills and Training pillars will be announced in due course. FISP will support the seafood industry to work jointly with scientists to gather new data to manage the UK’s fish stocks more sustainably, gather new data on gear selectivity and build a better understanding of the ecosystem benefits and impacts of Aquaculture. SIF will fund projects that develop innovative ideas and technologies, such as new biodegradable packaging for chilled fish and seafood to reduce single-use plastics. The UK Seafood Fund has been set up specifically to support the UK seafood industry. The Infrastructure pillar will prioritise applications from coastal communities and the most deprived areas across the four nations while Skills and Training will invest directly in the workforce which make up the communities built around the industry.

Home Office

Insulate Britain: Demonstrations

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Insulate Britain protesters have been arrested; and of those, how many (1) have been charged, and (2) have broken court injunctions.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Insulate Britain began targeting the M25 and other major roads on 13 September. As of 25 October, there have been over 650 arrests made by several police forces in connection to the protests.The charging of those arrested is an operational matter for the relevant forces and the Crown Prosecution Service. The number of court injunctions broken by protesters is a matter for National Highways and Transport for London who were granted the injunctions.

Knives: Crime

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in stabbings in the past four years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The latest police recorded crime figures, published by ONS in July 2021 for the year ending March 2021, show that there was a 15% fall in offences involving knives or sharp instruments recorded by the police to 44,286 compared with the year ending March 2020. This was driven by substantial decreases in periods coinciding with national lockdowns. Figures from 2016 to 2021 show a 19% increase in total offences involving the use of a knife.Tackling knife crime is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.We are clear about the inherent seriousness of offences involving knives and are determined to do all we can to protect communities and see that knife crime offenders are brought to justice. The Government remains extremely concerned by knife crime, and the corresponding increase in the number of victims of violent crime. This is why we have committed £176.5 million over two years to prevent serious violence in local communities and bolstering police capacity to respond to serious violent crimes when they do occur.

Treasury

Energy: Older People

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the elderlycan afford to heat their homes during this winter; and what plans they have to cut VAT on energy bills for six months.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In recognition of the fact that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their energy needs, the Government already maintains a reduced rate of 5 per cent VAT on the supply of domestic energy, at a cost of £5 billion per year. Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, going further would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. VAT raised around £130 billion in the year 2019/20, and helps to fund key spending priorities, including on health, education, and defence. Additional support is provided through the Winter Fuel Payment, which is designed to ensure that households where older people are living can be heated and kept warm during winter months.

Debts: Developing Countries

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to tackle the debt crises in low-income countries.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The UK recognises the significant debt vulnerabilities faced by many low-income countries, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Support for low-income countries, including on debt, has been a key priority of the UK’s G7 Presidency this year and something we have worked closely on with our international partners in the G20.At the onset of the pandemic the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club members, agreed the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). Under the DSSI, 73 low-income countries are eligible for temporary suspension of debt-service payments to bilateral creditors. The initiative has so far suspended over $10 billion in debt service repayments for over 40 low-income countries. The suspension period, initially agreed until December 2020 has been extended until December 2021.We have also agreed with our G20 and Paris Club partners a new “Common Framework” for debt treatments. This brings together, for the first time, G20 and Paris Club creditors to coordinate and cooperate in debt treatments for DSSI eligible countries. Under the Common Framework, private creditors will be required to implement debt restructurings on at least as favourable terms as bilateral creditors.The UK is also at the forefront of G7 initiatives on debt transparency, which is key to ensuring long-term debt sustainability. The UK secured G7 commitments to follow the UK in publishing their creditor portfolios “on a loan-by-loan basis for future direct lending by the end of 2021”. The G7 also urged all other G20 members to do the same.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had about the future of the Asia Infrastructure Bank.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The UK continues to engage closely with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and its members in line with the UK Government’s priorities. The AIIB’s 2030 Corporate Strategy sets out an ambitious approach to climate change, including a target that 50% of its investments will be climate finance by 2025.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Coronavirus

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the recovery of the UK tourism industry from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government has provided over £35 billion of support in the form of tax reliefs, grants, and loans to the leisure, hospitality, and tourism sectors throughout the pandemic in recognition of the severe impact of COVID-19 on tourism across the UK.In June the Government published a Tourism Recovery Plan setting out a comprehensive framework for rebuilding the sector, including an ambition to recover domestic tourism to pre- pandemic levels by the end of 2022 and inbound visitor volumes by the end of 2023 both at least a year faster than independent forecasts predict. The recently launched £8 million National Lottery Days Out scheme to encourage domestic trips in the off-peak autumn season is just one example of measures being put in place to support the sector at this time.In addition to the Levelling Up Fund, the 101 Towns Deals, and the City and Growth Deals in Scotland and Wales, the October Budget announced the Government’s plans to support local high streets as they adapt and recover from the pandemic. The Government is introducing a new temporary business rates relief in England for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties for 2022-23, worth almost £1.7 billion. Over 90% of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will receive at least 50% off their business rates bills in 2022-23.

Gambling: Internet

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the measures in place to protect (1) young, and (2) vulnerable, people from problem online gambling.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: All online gambling operators must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the strict licence conditions including measures to protect children and vulnerable people. Importantly, this includes tough age verification requirements to ensure children cannot gamble online, and an obligation on operators to monitor data and intervene when customers show signs of a risk of harm.In addition to this, the Government and the Gambling Commission have significantly strengthened the age verification requirements, banned gambling on credit cards, made online slots safer with a new game design code, mandated integration with Gamstop (the one-stop online self exclusion scheme) and introduced new rules on VIP schemes.Building on this record, we are reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review is looking at the effectiveness of existing measures to ensure the protection of young and vulnerable people from the risks associated with online gambling. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform in due course.

Arts: Industry

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value to the economy of the creative arts industry.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The creative industries contributed approximately £116 billion to the economy in 2019, accounting for 5.9% of the UK’s GVA. They also employed 2.1 million people across the UK which accounts for 6.3% of the UK’s workforce. The music, performing and visual arts sub-sector of the creative industries contributed almost £11 billion in GVA and 315,000 jobs in 2019.The creative sector’s value was recognised in the Government’s Plan for Growth, which highlighted the creative industries as key to the economic recovery and powering future growth, levelling up and exports. The Government has again recognised the importance of the creative industries to the economy at the Spending Review, with a further investment of £42 million to support growth across the country.

Channel Four Television

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many responses they received to the Consultation on a change of ownership of Channel 4 Television Corporation;how many of those responses were in favour of a change of ownership; how many were opposed to change in ownership; and how they intend to weight responses.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets We must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 in the years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering all the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.

Channel Four Television: Privatisation

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will produce a comprehensive assessment of the impact of Channel 4 privatisation on (1) businesses and jobs in the UK media production sector, (2) the balance in the creative economy between London and the rest of the UK, and (3) UK viewers’ access to original and distinctive UK content.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Channel 4 has played an important role in supporting independent production in the UK. The government has been clear that we want Channel 4 to remain a public service broadcaster (PSB), with obligations and benefits similar to those all PSBs have including those that are currently privately-owned if there is a change of ownership.We are clear that Channel 4’s public service remit, and its strengths both in working with independent producers across the country and in showing original, distinctive content, are precisely the attributes we would expect to be attractive to a buyer, and that we would expect any buyer to be likely to nurture and develop through new investment.Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets, but we must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s final decision.Once we have answered the questions set out in the consultation, we will know what specific impacts to assess and will therefore be in a position to carry out an impact assessment.

Channel Four Television

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) global media companies, (2) UK broadcasters, and (3) financial institutions, about the possibility of their purchasing Channel 4.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets. We must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting. We have therefore consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 in the years to come.The government has not decided whether to sell Channel 4, or how Channel 4 may be sold. Ministers and DCMS officials have been meeting a broad range of interested parties throughout the consultation process. Their views and evidence along with the consultation responses we have received will inform our policy-making and final decision.

Women and Equalities

Equality

Lord Shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a cross-Government equality action plan; and what role (1) the Equality Hub, and (2) the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, will have in any of those plans.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Equality Hub is part of the Cabinet Office, and therefore its work is covered by the Cabinet Office’s wider Outcome Delivery Plan. All departments’ Outcome Delivery Plans for the current year were published on 15 July 2021. The Equality Hub’s work includes development and delivery of specific strategies across government, for example the National Disability Strategy.Each department is responsible for the equality work relating to their portfolio. This will be reflected in their Outcome Delivery Plan, Equality Objectives, and other relevant strategies, and equality considerations will be factored into their wider work in line with the public sector equality duty.The creation of the new Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities reflects the Government’s commitment to levelling up and will be instrumental in driving forward the agenda across government, ensuring we are geared up to deliver on our ambitions. This is a transformative agenda and the Department’s priority is to produce a White Paper which matches our ambition and which will drive change for years to come. The links between levelling up and equality work will be even stronger given the Minister of State for Equalities is now based in that Department.